Automobile door lock handle



y 5, 1931. R. 1. GRAF 1,803,609

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK HANDLE Filed May '7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 20 10 8a8b 17 12 22 m 15 O 2/ T15. l. I

II 1 I Fig.8. lnucnfior Nfl'ome-l Pa mom) LGmi Maiy 5, 1931'. R. I. GRAF1,803,609

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK HANDLE Filed May 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 li ll MMM www- QZlTor m3;

Patented May 5, 1931 l i r UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE,

RAYMOND r. em, or men: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Auronfomnn noon LOOKHANDLE Application filed m 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,653.

This invention relates to a locking mechaview, all of which will beapparent as undernism for door latch handles and is more parstanding ofthe invention is had, I have made ticularly concerned with devices ofthis the improved construction described in the character which may beused on automobile following description and illustrated in the I doors.It is a primary object and purposy accompanying drawing, in which, 55

of the present invention to associate an oper- Fig.'1 is a substantiallyfull sized horizonating handle withadoor latch and providethe talsection through the locking handle of my 7 same with a key operatedmeans whereby the invention, the same shown applied to a door operatinghandle may be connected with or and in inoperative or withdrawn relationdisconnected from the latch so as to selectivewith respect to the latchbolt operating 6 1y render the latch bolt operative or inopershank.ative on turning movement of the handle. Fig. 2 is a similar sectionshowing the han- The handle may, when disconnected turn dle connected tothe shank. free without in any way aifecting the latch Fig. 3 is asection similar to those shown in bolt and this in eflect'serves to lockthe door Figs. 1 and 2, illustratin the method by against opening. whichthe handle is applied to or discon- A further object of the invention isto pronected from the door and the latch bolt vide a device andmechanism of this charach nkter which may be very economically pro- Flg.4 is a fragmentary sect1on 1n a vertiduced, all of the parts being ofcomparatively cal p ane, and 7 simple manufacture, readily and easilyas- 'Flg- 5 IS a transverse 8Ct10n on the plane sembled with resultantvery low cost of 5. 5 of Fig. 1 lookmg 1n the dlrectlon .1n-'manufacture as compared with door handles dlcated by the arrows. s andlocks heretofore commonly used on auto- I Like reference charactersrefer to llke 25 parts in the different figures of the drawmobile doors.I,

A still further object of the invention is to 'lngs- I provide a handleof the character described The automobile door to WhlCh the devicewhich, while it is secured to the door by Is applied may be of anyconventlonal conmeans of removable screws. any removal of structlonhavrng'the interiorbraclng or body the screws at the time that thehandle 1s dis- 1 overed at Its onter slde by a sheet metal connectedfrom the latch bolt automatically faclng 2 thru whlch, at one pomt nearthe renders the handle incapable of removal from free vert1cal edge ofthe door, a c rcular the door so that access to the operating shankopening 3 1s made. The latch 4 wh1ch 1s conwhich'is immediatelyconnected with the nected to the door 1s of any old and well bolt.cannot be had to open the door; yet at known or conventionalconstructlon having the same time by key operating the device so p j mglatch b 5 Wh h may be '8 that if the parts occupy a position such thatclprocated by turmng a shank 6. The shank 6 when assembled the handlewill be directly 1s located in a cylindrlcal open ng] made connectedwith said shank, it'is easy to rethrough the door, the axis of whlchsubstanmove or attach the handle to the .door, mazktlally colncldes withthe center of the opening it a very simple and easy problem to asmg 3'prev1ously described. semble the latch handle to the door and at theThe handle means for operat1ng the latch same time providing a securemeans to prebolt located at the ontslde of the door 1 nventdisconnection of the handle from the 'cludes a. grip body 8 of suitablematerial door when it is disconnected from the latch. whlch 1s a fiatelongated liouslng having an This prevents any entrance into theautoouter side and ends and s1des bent inwardly mobile through a removalof the latch handle atirlght angles thereto, and lnner inturned bvwithdrawingthe screws which attach it lips 8!; against wh1ch, .1ns1de ofthe housmg, 1 to the door; an elongated metal plate 9 bears. An outerWith the a ve and many other objects in substantially cylmdncal sleeveor ferrule 10 ...aulmmtlllll ing, as indicated at 86. The ferrule at Iits inner end is formed downwardly and inwardly making the inclinedledge 10?) which is receivedin a depression in the outer side of anescutcheon plate 11 hearing snugly against a downwardly and inwardlyinclined seat 11a on said escutcheon. This construction however may beof any commercial character, such as die casting, machined castings,composition, rubber, etc.

A look cylinder cylindrical sleeve 1.2 is connected to or formedintegral with the plate 9, lies lengthwise of and within the ferrule 10,passes through an opening in the escutcheon plate 11 and at its innerend is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending cars 14. Theinner endportion of the sleeve 12 is shaped to be substantially squarein cross section, as indicated at 13 in Figs. 4 and 5. A cup-like washer15 lies over the cars 14 and receives one end of a short coiledcompression spring 16, the opposite end of which bears against theescutcheon plate 11 as fully shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. The springunder compression draws the plate 9 snugly against the outer end of theferrule 10 and forces the inner end of the ferrule into snug engagementwith the seat 11a of the escutcheon plate, eliminating all tendency tonoise and rattle.

I lock cylinder 17 of any well known commercial form extends into theouter end of the sleeve 12 at its outer end having a head 17a bearingagainst the plate 9 and substantially flush with the outer side oftheliandlehousing 8. The 16015 cylinder is retained in the sleeve 12 bya retaining spring 18 as used in ordinary commercial forms of locks ofthis type. The lock cylinder carries a plurality of tumblers 20 whichpass through it at one side and which may be operated by the insertionof. a key into the outer end of a cylinder to free the cylinder forrotation with respect to the sleeve 12, but normally the tumblers engagewith the sleeve in such manner as to prevent any rotation of thecylinder 17 with respect to said sleeve.

From the inner end of the lock cylinder 17 a worm or screw 21 extendslengthwise of the sleeve 12 and particularly through its squared portion13. through a suitable opening in the end of a connecting member22'formed square in outline to fit the inner end portion 13 of sleeve12, closed at its outer end except for the opening through which thescrew 21 passes and open at its inner end for reception of the squareshank 6 of the door latch. At the inner end of the connecting member twoears This screw passes.

23 are formed at opposite sides of said memher, the same being of theshape shown in the various figures of the drawings and terminating attheir end in lips 24. The distance from the outer edge of one lip 24 tothe other is greater than the diameter of the opening 3.

The escutcheon plate 11 is secured to the outer side of the door bymeans of screws as shown in Fig. 4 and the connecting member 22 is indirect alinement with the shank 6. hen the key 25 is inserted in theouter end of the locking cylinder 17 the cylinder is free to rotate withrespect to the sleeve 12. Turning the key turns the cylinder and causesthe connecting member 22 to traverse the length of the screw 21. Whenthe key is turned in one direction the connecting member is drawnoutward to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon it is completelydisconnected from the shank 6. On turning the key in the oppositedirection the connecting member is caused to slide inward to theposition shown in Fig. 2 with the result that the connecting membertelescopes over the shank 6 and the handle is connected with said shankso that turning movement of the handle turns the shank and moves thelatch bolt 5. It is apparent that in the position of the parts shown inFig. 1, the handle may be freely turned but no operation of the latchbolt will take place.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 or with the connectingmember 22 disconnected from the shank 6, removal of the attaching screwsused to connect the escutcheon plate to the door results only inloosening the handle structure from the door but it cannot bedisconnected so that access may be had to the shank 6; this for thereason that the shoulders of ears 23 have entered the opening 3 and .thelips 24 have been brought so closely to the inner side of the metalcovering'2 of the door and also so closely to the inner edges of theescutcheon plate that the handle construction cannot be tilted farenough to pass the cars 23 with their terminal lips 24 thru the opening3. But when the connecting member 22 is in the other position, shown inFig. 2, and the screws are drawn there is then left sufficient space totilt the handle construction to one side, as shown in Fig. 3, so thatone of the lips 24 can pass thru the opening 3 after which by moving thehandle laterally the other ear and lip may be withdrawn.

Such construction renders it possible to readily assemble the handle onthe door and to retain it on the door against removal when the dooris,in effect, in locked position. If the connecting member22 is as shownin Fig. 2, there is no object in trying to remove the handleconstruction as the latch bolt can be freely operated. It is only whenan unauthorized person is attempting to gain access to the automobileand cannot do so by reason of the free rotation of the handle withoutafl'ecting the latch, that any attempt will be made to remove the handleby drawing the attaching screws. In such case the handle cannot beremoved.

The construction described is very practical andoperative and is ofsimple and economical construction, and can be readily applied toautomobile doors of modern construction, in which there is very limitedspace for any mechanism of this character within the door itself. Thecost. of manufacture is greatly reduced. The assembling is simple andeasy and there has been a reduction of the number of parts used to aminimum. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to beconsidered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within theirscope.

inner-end portion of-the sleeve adapted to telescope over said shank inone position,

Although the invention has been specifically shown and described asapplied to an automobile door lock, it is readily adaptable andapplicable to other uses with slight modifications of construction, asfor example, the connection'and disconnection of the so-called shiftlever with the gear shifting mechanism of an automobile transmissionwhere a swinging or sliding movement is imparted instead of a rotatingmovement.

I claim:

'1. In combination with a door or the like having a latch'mountedthereon, a handle structure mounted on the door and engaged therewith,means mounted in the handle structure for connecting with ordisconnect-iing it from said latch, means for securing the handle structure to thedoor and means for preventing disengagement .of the handle from the doorupon removal of said securing means except when the handlestructure isin latch connecting position.

2. In combination with a door having a door latch mounted thereon at itsinner side including a latch bolt, and a shank for operating the bolt,said door having an outer facing of metal with an opening therethrough,of a handle structure mounted on the door over said'opening, includingan elongated sleeve, a cylindrical operating member located in the outerend of the sleeve adapted to receive a key for rotating the same, aconnecting member slidably mounted at the and means operativelyconnecting said cylinbeen moved inwardly to a position where it normallyengages with said shank.

3. In combination with a door having a latch and a shank for operatingthe-latch, a handle structure on said door comprising, a rotatable handgrip, a connecting member mounted on said. grip to rotate therewith andto slide longitudinally of the axis of rotation for connection ordisconnection with said latch shank, means mounted in said grip forsliding said connecting member in and out and means on said connectingmember en gageable with said door to prevent removal of the handlestructure from the door when the connecting member is. in outerposition.

4. In combination with a door having an opening and a latch with anoperating shank extending into said opening, and a flange 0n the doorsurrounding said opening, a handle structure attached to the door oversaid opening comprising, a rotatable hand grip, a connecting membermounted in said to 1'0- tate therewith and slidable into'or out of en-,

gagement with said shank, lock means mounted in said grip and associatedwith said connecting member to slide the same inward or outward into orout of engagement with said "shank and ears on said connecting memberengageable with said flanges on the door to prevent removal of thehandle structure when the connecting member is in outer position.-

5. In combination with a door having an opening and a door latch havingan operating shank extending into said opening and a. flange on-.thedoor surrounding said opening, a handle structure mounted on the doorcomprising, a rotatable hand grip, a connecting member mounted on saidhand grip and rotating therewith and slidable into or out ofengagementwith said shank, lock means mount ed in said hand grip and associatedwith said connecting member engageable with said flanges on the door andremovable from said flanges only by turning the handle structure at anangle to said door, said ears engaging said flanges when the connectingmember is moved to outer position and preventing an-- gular placement ofthe handle structure relative to the door.

RAYMOND I. GRAF.

der and connecting member for moving the connecting member lengthwise ofthe sleeve, said shank, connecting member and sleeve at' their inner endportions having shapes to cause rotative movement of all when the sleeveis rotated with the shank and connecting member connected together, said'con necting member at its inner end having means for normallypreventing withdrawal of the connecting member through the openin 'insaid facing plate of the door, ex

- cepting when the connecting member has

